STARKVILLE — Kristen Merritt is getting to live her dream of being a Mississippi State cheerleader — and a few local family members are getting to watch her do it.

Kristen Merritt is the daughter of Blane and Laura Merritt, who are both Natchez natives. Her grandparents, Shirley and Herman Merritt, live in Natchez. Her grandfather, Charles Davidson, also lives in Natchez, and her grandmother, Sandra Gibson, lives on Lake Concordia.

Tryouts took place during the summer, and Merritt was able to make the co-ed squad, which cheers at football and men’s basketball games.

“At the tryouts you have to form a stunt group, so I picked a guy to stunt with, and we just had to show them what we could do,” Merritt said. “It was about a two-and-a-half day process.”

And Merritt said she was very excited when she got the news that she made the cut.

“It was something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” she said. “I would have been happy with either the all-girls squad or the co-ed, but I preferred co-ed.

“I’ve been cheering since eighth grade, and I wanted to keep doing it. I don’t know what I would have done if I couldn’t keep cheering.”

Shirley Merritt said the whole family was excited when news spread that her granddaughter would be cheering on the Bulldogs.

“We were just tickled to death, because we knew that was her dream,” Shirley Merritt said. “Her dad called us (with the news), and he could barely talk, he was so excited.”

Shirley Merritt also said she and her husband have been able to make several Mississippi State games to see their granddaughter cheer.

“In their first game against Memphis, we were sitting right down there at the student section,” Shirley Merritt said.

Merritt also said her parents come to every home game.

“When we played Kentucky, they came down and tailgated and stuff. I get to see them a good bit,” Merritt said.

Cheering in college has some similarities and some differences to cheering in high school, Merritt said.

“The difference is the people, I think,” she said. “Everyone’s a lot closer. Starkville’s a small town, so we do stuff together.

“Practices aren’t much different. We practice three times a week, which is what I’ve always done. The games are a much bigger deal.”

And so far, Merritt said she’s enjoying herself.

“I’m loving it. I love the people, and we’re getting used to a new coach. He’s cool, and he keeps things easy,” Merritt said.

The Bulldogs’ co-ed squad will also be competing in Nationals January in Orlando, Fla.